tiny mixtapes gone to heaven

styles: alternative rock/pop
others: Superdrag, Ozma, Rentals, That Dog

The Lion and the Witch EP
Geffen, 2002
rating: 1.9
reviewer: d

"...words cannot speak unless they are told. you can never know the excitement i owned when i saw the weezers. i had so good good so GOOD GOOD time. i like mr. pat drum. he is very good american drum man. maybe next show i bring mom to show her american rock not so bad. weezer have make my life feel like nicely. the crowd cheer so loud and i know that was best memory i own. big =w= light and my eye open big. i never see =w= so big before!!! it was best!!!!! i thank the weezer for best night. the the rivers i say 'konichiwa' :o). -skl"

...as is printed on the inside of the CD booklet. That's where 1.5 of the points come from, the Japanese fan letters. The great tracklist is another .1 points. The cover art, another .1. The rest are because I miscalculated the score. It's a limited edition live EP featuring six live tracks from shows in Japan last May. This album sounds so unbelievably bad. It sounds like a 7th grade cover band whose name is something like Argyle Llama. I don't know if the band was drunk or what during these performances. The recording quality is terrible. An audience recording would have sounded better than the shitty mix job done on this CD. Did the band release this just to scratch off another needed release for their contract with Geffen? I am really wondering if the band released this to be funny. Yeah, laugh, it is funny. Joke's on me. This is the worst thing I've ever spent $6.99 on.

1. Dope Nose
2. Island in the Sun
3. Falling For You
4. Death and Destruction
5. El Scorcho
6. Holiday

Maladroit
Geffen/Interscope, 2002
rating: 7.7
reviewer: mr p

My relationship with Weezer is like that of a girlfriend: There have been many ups and downs. Of course, the ups & downs are expected in any strong relationship, but whereas the ups & downs with my girlfriend are scattered throughout the relationship, all the ups with Weezer are from 1994 to 2000, and all the downs are from 2001 up until April 30th, 2002. And while the downs with my girlfriend are usually resolved with lots of apologizing, compromising, and gift hurling, it's as if me and the four nerds were not even on speaking terms. Until now, that is. Enter: Maladroit.

When Weezer released the Green Album last year, I didn't take it very good. I tried to love the album-- honest-- but I just couldn't swallow the sugary pop without a hefty gulp of milk; and since I'm lactose intolerant, I always ended up digesting the songs atop a toilet. The album was just too over-produced and devoid of the previous emotion encapsulated in its first two albums-- not to mention the horrible "Hash Pipe" video that was akin to watching a self-produced porn of my girlfriend and another guy who made the malicious tape for my viewing pleasure. But with the release of Maladroit, I can now say things are looking brighter.

Although not quite as visceral as Pinkerton or its eponymous debut album, Weezer's fourth album is stylistically, lyrically, and musically superior to the Green Album. The most welcome elements to return on Maladroit is the dynamics and interesting song structures. The Green Album had little dynamic range, causing the album to sound pastiche, watered-down, and disgustingly mundane. On the other hand, Maladroit consists of a plethora of volumes, keeping things fresh and exciting. And where the Green Album had song structures even Miss Cleo could predict (especially those damn guitar solos that mimicked the vocal melody), Maladroit is replete with creative guitar solos and interesting riffs.

The two most discernable songs on Maladroit are also among the most satisfying: "Burndt Jamb" and "Death and Destruction." The former is a jangly, upbeat song a la "Fly" by Sugar Ray, albeit much more satisfying, featuring the most melodic tune Rivers has ever penned. The latter is a snail-paced ballad, trading thick, distorted power chords for arpeggios and an uncharacteristically soulful Rivers. The beautiful outro is the stand-out moment of the album, floating about like the paper bag in American Beauty (minus the all-black-wearing weirdo with the video camera). As the song ascends toward the heavens, it ends prematurely, leaving the listener in a hopeful haze. Weezer is at the point in its career where it needs to take some chances to avoid repetition, and this song sounds like the construction of a bridge to something luminous.

However, there are some definite weak spots on the album, such as "American Gigolo," with its puerile verses; "Fall Together," with its cheesy guitar noodling; and "Love Explosion," with its extremely derivative melody, shamelessly stolen from the infamous "Locomotion." But maybe that was Weezer's intent, as even the title "Love Explosion" sounds like "Locomotion." Despite the flaws, the songs show the band treading toward something new and exciting. With each subsequent listen, it sounds as if the band is struggling to find a new sound to describe them, but essentially, that is every band's albatross. Even if it may not be consistently on the dot, it's better than re-hashing (pun intended) the same shit.

In retrospect, that green album seems more like the couple of dribbles a basketball player needs before a free throw to get back in rhythm-- a practice album, if you will. Reasons supporting this theory are (1) the band was denied the right to self-produce the Green Album like they did with Pinkerton, (2) the band's first set of demos for the Green Album was ultimately rejected by the record label, Geffen, and (3) the Green Album just wasn't very strong. On the contrary, Maladroit was produced by the band, and they were even hesitant to turn it over to Geffen because it was such a personal thing to them. In addition, the band must have a giant collective pair, as they sent a Maladroit sampler to radio stations without the permission of the label.

I think of Maladroit as Weezer's apology to me (since, ultimately, they are writing music to please me); and I accept the apology with open arms. It's an album about breaking traditions, such as the former 10-song Weezer standard and eponymous/color-associated album titles. It's the kind of album that wouldn't have received such polar reviews if it were released in place of the Green Album. More importantly, I don't think Weezer would have lost those die-hard Pinkerton aficionados. The sad thing is, so many people are still bitter about the whole situation that they may not even hear Maladroit.

Though this review was primarily a discourse on the conquering of my love/hate relationship with Weezer and the relative position of Maladroit in Weezer's discography, I think a majority of fans can relate to my indignant disposition. It ultimately boils down to respect. After the Green Album, all respect was thrown out the window. But with Maladroit, the respect is back with even bigger breasts; and to this reviewer, respect is the foundation in which love is built upon. Hoping for another Pinkerton is as stupid and naive as hoping for another OK Computer, and I'm optimistic that, what with the band already recording more "experimental" songs, me and Weezer are going to have to renegotiate our relationship over a candlelit dinner.

**review also published here.

1. American Gigolo
2. Dope Nose
3. Keep Fishin'
4. Take Control
5. Death And Destruction
6. Slob
7. Burndt Jamb
8. Space Rock
9. Slave
10. Fall Together
11. Possibilities
12. Love Explosion
13. December

Weezer (The Green Album)
Geffen/Interscope, 2001
rating: 5.7
reviewer: mr p

**click here to read an extended review of this album

Why is The Green Album not as great as the classic Pinkerton and The Blue Album? Is it because of the departure of Rentals frontman Matt Sharp? Because of Rivers newfound refusal to write songs with meaning? The pressure and expectations of Geffen/Interscope? Who knows, maybe it's all of the above, but there is definitely something lacking on this album.

The Green Album spits out the catchiest Weezer choruses since their debut self-titled album Weezer (aka The Blue Album). The sweet melodies are the driving force of the album with the presence of thick, strong harmonies, but like chocolate chip cookies, you can only take so much of that sugary sweetness without having to gulp down some milk with it.

The first thing I noticed lacking on The Green Album compared to their previous works is the creative use of dynamics. No longer are there innovative breakdowns and buildups. Instead, Weezer use a clichéd guitar solo in almost every song that mimics the melody of the verses. This results in predictable and redundant music that causes my eye to twitch every so often.

Also, because of the lack of dynamics, lead singer/guitarist/nerd/songwriter Rivers Cuomo has no room to vary the dynamics within his voice. On Pinkerton, Weezer would often start off incredibly loud, but would always somehow get even louder building a catastrophic pop frenzy. But The Green Album retains a constant volume and tempo which results in radio-friendly commercialized pop.

But what's great about this album is that with every spin, the music seems to get a little better. With cute vocals, minor-ish chords, and an acoustic guitar, "Island In the Sun" provides the necessary break from the other straight-forward rockers. And album closer "O' Girlfriend" is a great Weezer tune and wouldn't seem that out of place on Pinkerton.

This is definitely not the Weezer of the mid-90's that we depended on to provide us a break from grunge/alternative music. This is Weezer 2001. They may have lost some elements in their music that made me fall in love with them, but they have not lost the ability to make me smile and fill me with that euphoric joy that makes me want to bounce off the walls for hours. And because of this, I believe Weezer is semi-successful with The Green Album. But someone really needs to tell Rivers that good music is not judged by album sales, maybe then the Rivers we came to know and love will be back with even thicker glasses.

1. Don't Let Go
2. Photograph
3. Hash Pipe
4. Island in the Sun
5. Crab
6. Knock-Down Drag-Out
7. Smile
8. Simple Pages
9. Glorious Day
10. O Girlfriend

Pinkerton
Geffen/Interscope, 1996
rating: 9.5
reviewer: cowboy dan

This is going to sound crazy, but hear me out. Pinkerton, Weezer's belated follow-up to their enormously popular self-titled debut, is a...well...uuuhh...it's an emo concept album. Don't get me wrong, it's still pop, but with a new colour and flavour. There is an obvious difference to the Weezer many of us originally fell in love with.

For Pinkerton, the band decided to produce the album themselves, rather than returning to the slick production style of Ric Ocasek. The sound that was created aids in my afore-mentioned theory. This album has much more of a raw sound. The guitars are more crunchy than distorted, and the drums are more in your face. This, along with strikingly heart-felt vocals and surprisingly personal lyrics, cause Pinkerton to sound reminiscent to some of my favorite indie emo rock albums. It's hard to get used to if you are expecting to hear another Blue Album. But the more you listen, the more it will grow on you.

Lead singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo seems to be telling a story with the lyrics; a story about the search for love in the aftermath of a top-selling album. Knowing a bit more background of Cuomo's life after hitting it big, one could interpret the album as chronological, and the Pinkerton concept is born. Taking a break from all the attention gained as a result of Weezer's multi-platinum debut, Rivers continued with his schooling at Harvard and tried to stay as much out of the spotlight as he could. Pinkerton's opening track, "Tired of Sex", seems to portray this need to get away. The song is a sexual metaphor (or is it??), in which Rivers admits to being "tired of having sex" and finally asks, "Why can't I be making love (come true)?". A dynamic song with an incredible vocal performance and a kick-ass guitar solo.

The album continues to track two, called "Getchoo", about infatuation, or rather, overinfatuation. Another dynamic song with another incredible vocal performance and another kick-ass guitar solo. After slowing it down a bit with track three, "No other one", they kick it back into gear with "Why Bother?". Track five, "Across the Sea", is arguably the most touching of all Weezer songs and also marks the first direct introduction of the Japanese side theme to Pinkerton. The interpretation is left up to the listener, but it definitely adds a special twist to an already meaningful album.

Track six, "The Good Life", expresses the opposite feeling of "Tired of Sex", which we heard five tracks earlier. On this track, Rivers explains that he doesn't want to be an "old man" anymore and is ready to change BACK to the rock star life -- to "the good life". (The "old man" is referring to his appearance at the time. Rivers, while attending Harvard, had grown a thick beard and had to walk with a cane as he recovered from surgery, giving him an "old man" look.)

Each song on Pinkerton has its own emphasis on an overall concept, adding up to a great, consistent album that never loses its edge. Please, PLEASE, listen to this album. No matter what genre you want to file it under, it's truly one of the best albums of the 20th Century.

1. Tired of Sex
2. Getchoo
3. No Other One
4. Why Bother?
5. Across the Sea
6. The Good Life
7. El Scorcho
8. Pink Triangle
9. Falling for You
10. Butterfly